Old Friends
by colasun
Summary: Sunday afternoon with no appointmens and no plans other then spending time together in their home. Ally praises herself to be polite, but Jack's not buying it. For obvious reasons.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys!**

**I know it's been a while since you heard from me. My life was so chaotic the last few months and I was a little discouraged from the lack of reviews for 'Christmas', which I was so excited about. **

**So now here's something new about Jack and Ally. I just can't resist them. For this one I needed another power couple, so here they are.**

**Thanks to my beta OliviaBeckett, who's always encouraging me to write my mind down and reads it and helps me in every way possible. **

**Have fun with these 1458 words! I hope you like it!**

_**Your colasun**_

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_**Chapter I**_

"Can't believe you're still wearing it." Ally looked up from the movie they're supposed to be watching. Her husband clearly wasn't paying attention to it anyway. It was Sunday afternoon and they decided to have a lazy day with no appointments whatsoever. Thankfully the couch was big enough for the three of them. While she was sitting comfortably in one corner, Jack was laying with his long limbs spread out and his head in her lap. Charlie was cuddled up between him and the backrest, snoring softly with no care in the world.

"You gave it to me.", she answered him. Jack was playing with her hand, looking awestruck at the guitar string she was wearing on her finger. Stroking it like the treasured gift it was. "I know. But it was supposed to be temporary. A spur of a moment thing, y'know? Didn't think much about it." Uncomfortable he shrugged and smiled that sheepish smile he had smiled back then too. Clearly, it had been spontaneous and nothing like she imagined as a young girl to be asked for marriage. Nothing like books and movies are telling you how it should be done. What's romantic and what's not. But that moment when he slipped that handmade engagement ring on her finger... she couldn't have said no to save her life. It was so typical Jack. A grand gesture wrapped in the mantle of normalcy. They married the same day and bought rings, dresses and a suit in-between. She loved her engagement ring to death, with the big stone and all, but loved the initial one even more and wears it constantly, just like the wedding ring on the other hand. Like Jack was wearing his platinum one proudly and never took it off.

Ally had to bend a little to kiss his mouth properly. Her hair was falling over his face and they had to laugh. Jack stroked it back to his best abilities, so they could kiss again. A loud ring interrupted the intimate moment between them. Both their phones were lying on the table. The loud music was blaring from his. No way could he reach it from his position and he didn't look like he would get up for it. So she reached out and looked at the screen. "You know this number?" There wasn't a name to it, so she showed it to him. "Nope." He popped the p careless.

"Maybe your secret girlfriend?", she teased him in the knowledge that he would never do this. Jack huffed a laugh and teased back. "No time." How funny." She smacked him in the chest right when the screen went black. "You should call back." Ally offered him the phone. "Why?" What's that for a question? "Because it's the polite thing to do." Look at her, all responsible adult. Before she could get the inevitable response, namely that he wasn't polite, the phone began to ring again. It was the same number. Jack made a go-on gesture and with an eye roll, she answered.

"Hello?" In her lap, her husband snorted and muttered a 'Polite, my ass.' into his beard. She covered his big mouth with her free hand and nearly gasped when he licked her palm. Glaring down at his boyish grin Ally wiped her hand clean on his T-Shirt. Did he had been taught any manners at all? His brother would most certainly say that the boy couldn't be taught a damn thing if he hadn't wanted it.

Still waiting for the person on the other end of the line to answer, she heard a male voice clearly talking to someone behind him. "There's a woman on the phone." A female voice answered him. "Probably his wife. You know he's married now." A beat of silence. "We weren't invited. That was so rude." Puzzled Ally looked at Jack, who wasn't interested in who was calling him on his private cell at all. Instead, he played again with her rings like it was the most interesting thing in the world. She placed her hand on his chest, stopping him from distracting her further. Her mind was already working on a way to get him to strip his shirt.

"I'd like to talk to Jack." The middle-aged voice from the phone interrupted her train of thoughts. She'd nearly forgot about him. "Please.", the woman with him scolded. "Please.", he echoed. "I'd like to talk to Jack, please." That was an interesting pair. "Who's there?", she asked. "Just put him on, please. It's important." Yeah, as if. "Call again when you remember your name." With that, she ended the call. Jack's laugh was booming. "Mother hen.", he accused. So what? She was protective of her own. Some crazy fan calling? Wherever he got that number? Wanting to talk to Jackson about God knew what? Not happening on her watch. However, before she could put the phone back on the table, it rang again. Same number. Considering just blocking the number, curiosity got the better of her.

"Maine.", she answered brusquely. This time it was the woman. "Ally, right? This is Gwen. I'm so sorry about my boyfriend. I think he left his phone manners back in Oklahoma. We're old friends of Jackson's. May we speak to him? Or you could put us on speaker, please?" This Gwen seemed nice enough. Her voice reminded her of someone. She just couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"You're on speaker, Gwen." Jack seemed surprised when Ally dropped the name but made no move otherwise. "Blake's bothering you?", he asked after they exchanged hellos. "No, he's sweet… most of the time. You know him longer than I do. He's giddy to ask you something and he'll be crushed if you say no, so be nice and say yes, yes?" The way she talked to Jack really sounded like they knew each other for quite some time. "That'd be too easy. What's it he wants?" The male voice immediately complained. "Don't be like that! I need your help with a riff. It just doesn't want to work as it should! You're the guitar god. Help an old friend outta here!" Now Ally had to get to know who they were. That conversation was so funny. Gwen was handling the guys like a pro. Maybe she could teach Ally a trick or two.

Jack rolled his eyes when this Blake entitled him to be the guitar god, which he totally was in Ally's opinion. "I'm not fucking Clapton. Call him." Wow. Ally's thoughts stuttered. Did they know Eric Clapton? "Oh, man. You're my first choice! Can we come over for dinner? Say yes, please! The boys are with their father, so it's just us. Though, they like to see you again, too." Jack made a hm-sound and looked up at her, not wanting to invite someone into their sanctuary without her permission. They had his private number, so they're probably trustworthy enough, She'd learned not to hand over private information early in her career, even changed her number after old acquaintances suddenly wanted to reconcile after she'd hardly heard from them in years.

"Okay with me.", she agreed. Jack didn't look convinced, though. "Don't know." He scratched his chin in thought. The movement made Charlie look up sleepily and he yawned, shook himself and jumped down to get to his bowl in the false hope that it had magically refilled. "You were rude to Ally. Didn't like that." Oh boy, wasn't he sweet? Her hand slipped under the hem of his shirt and played with the hair around his belly button. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes flew up to her. Clearly trying to understand if this was going the way he thought it was.

"Oh come on! Everybody loves me, you know that!" Gwen and Jack snorted in sync and the guy got frustrated. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Ally! I really am. I'm likable, I promise!" Ally raised her eyebrows at Jack in question. He just shrugged. "People Magazine got to his head big time." People Magazine? Was this guy on the front page? When? Did she read it? Gwen snorted again rather unladylike.

"Say that again to my face." Jack grinned, clearly amused that he had got his friend all worked up. "Six alright?", he asked. "Six's great. Text me the details. We're bringing the food.* With that, the call ended. Looking at the time Ally weighed her options. She could watch the rest of the movie and made herself presentable. Whoever that was, sweats most certainly weren't on the dress code. Or she could give in to the temptation and show her husband that she would accept the guitar string all over again.

Tough choice.

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**Who are they talking with? I think Ally didn't quite get it. How will she react when they do come over for dinner?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys!**

**Thanks for your support and the reviews and favorites! I'm glad you like my story. Here's the second chapter for you. I planned on having three to four chapters for this story. Let's see how it goes!**

**Thanks to my friends and beta OlivaBeckett for her endless patience and support!**

**So, have fun with this mysterious Blake and Gwen and these 1354 words!**

**Your colasun!**

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_**Chapter II **_

Blake's not a complicated guy, no hidden agenda or anything, but Jack was suspicious of this impromptu visit nonetheless. Obviously, he was in LA to be with Gwen and with her boys out of the house, he didn't need to guess what they'd be doing normally. And while they're both musicians as well, a simple riff could've waited 'till another time, couldn't it?

"Is this alright?" He turned to look at his wife. She had insisted she needs to change before his friends were arriving. "Perfect.", he announced and got an eye roll and a smile in response.

"So, you're friends, they're nice?" Her tone was casual, but he heard the underlying nervousness. Which was ridiculous, 'cause the couple was going to love her anyway.

"They're not just nice on TV, y'know. They're pretty normal. Or as normal as one can be in this fucked up business." He opted for a casual tone too, but Ally's head snapped up in surprise. "TV? What do you mean, TV? Who are they?" How should he break it to her? Didn't she already know? It was obvious, wasn't it? When he opened his mouth to tell her, his phone goes off, again. Blake, with his great scout skills, couldn't find the house. So Jack gave him the necessary instructions. It wasn't that the house was that hard to find if you know where to look. But in the middle of the woods, it wasn't exactly visible to outsiders, so it suits its purpose just fine.

In no time at all, there was a knock on the door and with a glare in his direction Ally went to open it. Not two seconds later, she shut it in their visitors' faces like they were Jehovah's Witnesses or something. Jack had to laugh about the situation but was cut short when his wife shot him a death glare. "What?", he asked to diffuse the situation. She couldn't be afraid of them, could she?

"There's Gwen Stefani standing on our porch.", she deadpanned. He just blinked in response, like the idiot he sometimes was, because, what's there to add? "Gwen fucking Stefani!", she yell-whispered at him. "Well… let her in?", he suggested. Again he earned himself a glare, because, right, it was his fault, wasn't it? Taking a deep breath she turned around again and opened the door to their visitors smiling faces. They're not one to take this kind of things personal. They're legends, so they know how it goes sometimes. But even standing face to face, Ally didn't say a word and was still sporting her deer-in-the-headlights-look, so he'd taken over and bid them in.

"It's so good to see you again, Jack! It's been too long." Gwen was standing on her very tiptoes to hug him hello. She was kinda small but terrifying in her own way. Kinda like Ally. And it wasn't just a phrase either. He knows Gwen was honest in her joy to see him, she hates when people don't say what they really mean. So he bent down to comply and wrapped her up in a bearhug.

"Hey, hey! That's my girl you cuddling there! What about me?" Like the goof he was, Blake had opened his arms to receive a hug as well and even kissed him on the cheek like he always does with people. "Thanks, man.", he told him and rubbed his cheek in mock annoyance. Everyone laughed at that. Even Ally seemed to come around to see them for who they really are. But when he stepped aside and introduced her to his friends, she again looked caught off guard. Gwen went to hug her just like she had hugged him and Ally even hugged her back but mouthed a "What the fuck!" over her shoulder like she can't believe this is really happening. When they parted and Blake went in to get one too, she held up a finger to signal that she needed a minute and took off into their bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Not ten seconds later they heard a frustrated scream. Everyone went brows up and their guests were looking at him apologetic.

"I'm so sorry, did I do somethin'?" Blake looked concerned that he scared her off for some reason. But really, he didn't do shit, so there's nothing to be sorry for. Jack shook his head and told them to make themselves comfortable while he went looking for what that's about.

Knocking on the door felt kinda ridiculous, but he did it anyway. If she said something, he didn't hear it. So he just turned the knob and stepped in. Ally was looking up from the foot of the bed where she had been sitting and most certainly overthinking everything. "I said I'm not ready to come out yet." That threw him off a bit because she was a hell of a lot braver than him. "Can't fucking hear ya murmuring something through the door. What's up?" He added the question so she wouldn't ask him about his hearing abilities again today.

"She's my idol, Jack! She went through so much and is still performing and great and big in the business and I'm way out of her league to talk to! I'm still a newcomer! I'm still struggling with being famous and I don't even know about my next album! Maybe nobody will like it and that's it then! Why would she want to hang out with me?" She was kinda hyperventilating after her little speech. He sat next to her and tugged her into his chest. "You're not gonna cry, right? 'Cause when ya do, I'm gonna cry too and then Blake's gonna cry and Gwen's gonna kick our asses 'cause we're such a pair of pussys." Ally's breath hitched like she really had been about to let tears fall but opted for a laugh instead at the funny image. Maybe thinking he's just full of bullshit. Tilting her chin up he made her look at him. The utter faith she had in him never ceased to amaze him.

"You're not a fuckin nobody, baby. Far from it. And fifteen years from now, you gonna be as successful as the lady out there. Hopefully without the ex-husband, though." That got a laugh out of her again when she snuggled into his side. "You really think that?" What's that for a question? If she's pursuing her career further and get rid of that fucking manager of hers sometime soon in the future, there's no way the world's gonna stop loving her. Applauding her. Believing in her as he did. Wanting to hear everything she had to say.

"One-hundred-fucking-percent!", he exclaimed. She somewhat calmed down after a few more breaths. "Since when do you know them?", she inquired and looked up at him again. He shrugged, didn't want to think of all the passed years. Some of them he can't even remember. "Blake and I played together now and then, met at festivals, that kind of thing. Gwen outed herself to be a fan of mine at an award show, a few years back. Asked me to play at that reunion thing with No Doubt." Now she sat up straight and looked at him like she'd seen a ghost. "You played with No Doubt? When? Where? Why didn't I know about this?" So many questions. He just laughed. "Ya can look it up later, baby. Now let's get back out there. Blake's having a stroke, thinkin' he scared ya off." Bending down again he kissed her right on the mouth and lingered a moment before backing off. Friends or no friends, he totally would throw them out and take her up against the wall or wherever when the chance presented itself.

"Okay, thanks.", she said. Standing up she smoothed her clothes down a little bit like it would make a difference. Seeing his chance Jack smacked her behind. "Jackson!", she exclaimed like she really was scandalized by his behavior. But he knew her better. She liked it when he went all caveman on her. And it's not like she's any better.

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**What do you think? **


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